A Review on Gabriel García Márquez’s Novel "The General in His Labyrinth"

Introduction

The historical fiction account of Simón Bolívar’s last seven months, “The General in His Labyrinth” written by Gabriel García Márquez was praised by the St. Petersburg Times as “the author's most readable book… His words are lush and readers will come away with a sense of Bolívar's humid, weary world and its rich odor of decay.” Following the success of his novels: One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, García Márquez chose to write about Latin America’s “Great Liberator” (Simón Bolívar) after reading a partially completed draft by his friend since childhood, Álvaro Mutis. Inspired by his friend's work and his own familiarity with the region, García Márquez received permission from Mutis and began to write his novel in honor of Bolívar, taking the setting of the river Magdalena and plot from Mutis’ unfinished novel.

A Review on Gabriel García Márquez’s Novel "The General in His Labyrinth"

Márquez spent two years researching the historical context of his novel, largely referring to the memoirs of Bolívar's Irish aide-de-camp, Daniel Florencio O'Leary, with the intent of recreating Bolívar’s complete person. García Márquez viewed most of the information about Bolívar as lacking complexity, creating a very one-dimensional Liberator. As Márquez would later say concerning his research, “No one ever said in Bolívar's biographies that he sang or that he was constipated ... but historians don't say these things because they think they are not important” (García Márquez, 1989). Fortunately, Márquez appreciated these unimportant details, giving us a Bolívar that feels oddly human; not some distant memory recorded on the pages of history. The author’s attention to the mundane aspects of Bolívar's life allows readers to connect with him on a personal level, seeing him not just as a historical figure but as a man grappling with the complexities of his world.

A Unique Portrayal of a Historical Figure

The result of Márquez’s writings breaks with the traditional heroic portrayal of Simón Bolívar, El Libertador. Instead, Márquez depicts a pathetic protagonist, a broken man, physically ill and mentally exhausted. This portrayal of their well-loved hero alarmed Latin Americans, especially in regards to Márquez’s fictionalized elements. The detailed description of Bolívar's more intimate moments, and the victory of despair and sickness over the themes of love, life, and happiness were initially a point of outrage. This resulted in many prominent Latin Americans accusing Márquez of besmirching one of the region's most important historical figures. Others revere Márquez’s portrayal of Simón Bolívar as a unique insight into his most intimate thoughts and feelings. Márquez took a risk; he removed the drapes that shrouded the life of Bolívar in heroism and sainthood, revealing a tragically flawed hero who fought a losing battle against realism. This raw depiction challenges readers to reconsider the nature of heroism and the burdens carried by those we idolize.

Historical Context and Impact

García Márquez sets his novel in the year 1830, in the aftermath of the Spanish American revolution where Spanish Americans took advantage of Spain's weakness and, following the examples of the French and American Revolutions, revolted. Bolívar was largely involved in the attempts to relieve South America from Spanish control and, with the aid of the independence movements, he managed to co-liberate Venezuela, New Granada, and present-day Ecuador and Peru, eventually being installed as the president of Gran Colombia. However, Bolívar’s dream of uniting the Spanish American nations under one central government fell through. Shortly after these colonies became liberated, problems developed, civil wars ensued, and those who had once supported Bolívar now became his bitter enemies. Distraught, Bolívar led off his address to the congress with, “Fellow citizens! I blush to say this: Independence is the only benefit we have acquired, to the detriment of all the rest” (Bolívar, 1830). Bolívar lost his support, fell ill, and as opposition to his presidency increased, he resigned as president of Gran Colombia after 11 years of rule. This period of disillusionment and fragmentation serves as a poignant backdrop for Márquez’s narrative, highlighting the transient nature of power and the relentless march of history.